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Wednesday 25 September 2019

21st to 23rd Sep – Common Rosefinches and the autumn's first Jack Snipe

Saturday 21st September

A day of strong south-easterlies and sunshine for most. The birding highlight from what was a rather busy boat day had to be a young Common Rosefinch, which found itself in the shelf of a mist-net in Millcombe Valley in the late afternoon. Another bird of note during this lovely late September day was the first Jack Snipe of the autumn, flushed form the north-east corner of Pondsbury in the late afternoon.

Other sightings include 9 Mallard, 3 Teal on Pondsbury, a Sparrowhawk, a single Black-headed Gull circling the Oldenburg as she approached the island, 3 Woodpigeon, a lone Kestrel, 6 Sand Martin, 50 Swallow, just 1 House Martin, a single Willow Warbler, 2 Chiffchaff, 4 Blackcap, 10 Goldcrest, a Firecrest which was caught and ringed in Millcombe, 2 Robin, a Whinchat near Quarterwall, a flyover Grey Wagtail, 30 Meadow Pipit, 4 Chaffinch, 4 Goldfinch and 90 Linnet.

Sunday 22nd September

A rather soggy one with numerous heavy downpours and squalls moving in throughout the day, coupled with strong south-easterlies again in the morning, veering west by the late evening.

Highlights include a second Common Rosefinch for the autumn, this time a stunning adult male which was proudly perched outside Bramble Villas for around three minutes or so before disappearing down the valley. Additionally, the third Wryneck of the autumn (following birds in Millcombe on 25th Aug and Jenny’s Cove on 30th Aug) was found perched upon one of the Willows just south of the Terrace in the afternoon.

Other sightings include a Grey Heron near Quarter Wall, a flyover Ringed Plover, 3 Sparrowhawk, 5 Woodpigeon, a Collared Dove, a single Merlin, 1 Kestrel, 12 Skylark (some of which were in full song near Pondsbury in the afternoon), 5 Sand Martin, 80 Swallow, 2 House Martin, a single Willow Warbler, 8 Chiffchaff, 10 Blackcap, 15 Goldcrest, 2 Firecrest, 9 Robin, 2 Stonechat, a Wheatear, 4 Yellow Wagtails, a White Wagtail in Barton Field, 82 Meadow Pipit, 10 Chaffinch, 43 Goldfinch and 80 Linnet.

Monday 23rd September

A breezy but pleasant start to the day turning rather wet and miserable by the early afternoon. Highlights include a superb fall of Goldcrest with an estimated 180 birds scattered across the island. Within these stunning and often noisy fluttering Goldcrest flocks were 5 Firecrest, strewn along the east sidelands from Millcombe as far as the Quarry willows!

Other sightings include a Sparrowhawk, a Water Rail calling from Quarters Pond, 6 Woodpigeon, a Kestrel, 2 Skylark, 10 Swallow, 2 Willow Warbler, 20 Chiffchaff, 30 Blackcap, 9 Robin, a Stonechat, 2 Grey Wagtails, a single flyover alba wagtail, 11 Meadow Pipit, a Tree Pipit over the Village, 3 Chaffinch and 15 Goldfinch.

Report composed of sightings from Derek Baggott, Chris & Mandy Dee, Dean Jones, Bob Medland and Ben Rousseau.

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